Crafting with a Cocktail

This week’s guest columnist is my lovely sister Jill. She presently lives in Chicago and works at a hip marketing company downtown. I don’t know anyone funnier than this woman and I mean that. She’s a delight. I’ll let her take over from here. Thanks sister!

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I typically leave the crafting up to my dearest do-it-yourself-sister, but recently I’ve discovered an urge to spend a little more of my precious time creating rather than (insert present tense verb here.) Keep it clean people – you don’t know me.

Inspired by her talents, I’ve found myself strolling through local craft fairs and obsessing over cyber-spectacular websites such as Pinterest. As a result, I’ve taken on a few new projects that Miss Carly has invited me to share with all of you.

As I find myself growing older, I’ve realized I need to start bringing a little more class into my life. And nothing screams class more than – you guessed it – coasters. I found this delightful little project on Pinterest. It’s made a nice addition to my home, and serves as a fun, personalized gift for others (sorry for ruining the surprise, People I Give Gifts To in 2012.)

It’s simple, really. Take a tile, spread a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the surface with a foam brush, and place the napkin (trim if necessary) on top. Flatten out to the best of your ability, let it dry and lather on another layer of Mod Podge. Again, flatten as much as possible, but know that the napkin material will wrinkle regardless. Don’t fight it – it adds a nice textured touch. Once that dries completely add a layer of polycrylic protective finish and place four protective casters on the bottom corners of the tile to avoid table-scratch. Boom. Coasted.

Recommendation: Don’t limit yourselves to napkins – I tried a few with magazine pages and I’m quite fond of them.

Once you’ve created your classy new coasters, you’ll clearly need something to place on top of them, right? Right. Well my guess is that you refined folk out there will be drinking nothing less than a delicious bottled brew that requires some sort of contraption to pop its top. I’ve got just the thing.

What you need:

Stationary Bottle opener
Wood scraps
Paints, brushes, stencils, etc.
Polycrylic Protective Finish (You should have some left over from the bodacious coasters you just
made.)
A drill ‘n screws

I stumbled upon this magnificent must-have at last year’s Renegade Craft Fair here in Chicago. Instructions are basic – pick up a sturdy wood scrap at your local Home Depot, paint it however you feel compelled and coat with a couple layers of protective finish. Once completed, grab a drill, feel the power and marry the bottle opener of your choosing to your masterpiece. Pinpoint your favorite lazy space to indulge in a few bottles of classic Coca-Cola and mount to the wall. Stylish and convenient.

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